Defying the Odds UP For Adoption
by SmileCauseItsWorthIt
Summary: Ponyboy is always defying the odds,for better or worse. When Ponyboy is fighting for his life,there is no way the gang can help. It isn't socs or Johnny and Dally's death,it's a terrible disease. Will Pony survive,or will he join all of those already lost
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: (These things suck!) I own squat! It is all property of S.E. Hinton. I make no money. Seriously, I don't even have a job. So now that **_**that**_** is over with, let's get started.**

**Okay **_**major **_**writer's block on my other story (Ideas?). So, I started this to get some ideas down and, wa-la, a new story. No clue where it will take us, but how about we sit back and enjoy the ride my imagination is about to take us on. Buckle your seatbelts; it'll be a long and bumpy ride.**

(Ponyboy POV)

I felt sick. Not just sick, I felt like crap. My throat was sore and I was dizzy and lightheaded. I hadn't felt good in days, and today was no exception. I looked at the clock, it was 6:29 A.M. Darry would be in there in exactly one minute. He was always prompt. I decided to just get up. Just as I got to the door, there was Darry. I think he was shocked to see me there, but he masked his expression before I could analyze it.

"Pony, what- hey, you don't look too good," he said. I guess my health showed on my face. I needed to get to school today; I had a big math exam. I really couldn't miss it.

"I'm okay Darry," I said. I guess I was more convincing than I thought, or Darry wasn't paying enough attention because he nodded his head then went to wake up Soda

"I'm okay Darry," I said. I guess I was more convincing than I thought, or Darry wasn't paying enough attention because he nodded his head then went to wake up Soda. I took a hot shower and put on jeans and a forest green t-shirt. Then I put my jean jacket on and some grease in my hair. I walked to the kitchen and grabbed a slice of toast, I wasn't too hungry. I slipped my shoes on, picked up my backpack, and headed out the door before anyone could get a good look at me. I saw myself in the mirror; I did not look so good. I knew I would be fine though, it was probably just the flu. It'll be gone tomorrow and life will go back to what passes for normal these days. Little did I know that I was dead wrong.

**Okay, it was a dull opening chapter. But the next will be out soon. And by soon I mean ten seconds. It's already written up.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**Well… Here it is.**

(Ponyboy POV)

I began my walk home from school by myself. I had gone to track practice, but the coach told me to leave early because I didn't look so good. I didn't feel so good either. In fact, I felt even worse than I did this morning. I didn't think that was possible. Once again, I was always defying the odds. I had put my jacket in my backpack, but I was starting to get cold. I took my bag off and started to unzipper it. Suddenly my surroundings began spinning and the world went black.

(XXX)

(Steve POV)

I started my walk to the Curtis house from the DX. Soda had today off and Larry was in. Larry was this really annoying and nerdy kid. He had big glasses and talked like someone shoved a duck up his nose. Try spending a few hours with him; you'll be ready to jump the first person that looks at you funny. I was almost at the Curtis house when I saw someone lying on the ground. I ran over and saw that it was Ponyboy. _Jeez, can't this kid catch a break?_ I thought. I looked at him, his arms had bruises and he looked kinda pale. I started shaking him.

"Kid, hey kid, wake up," I said. He opened his eyes.

"Steve?"

"Yeah it's me. What happened, did some socs getcha?"  
"No, I've been feeling sick lately. I guess it finally caught up to me," he said. If he's so sick, why the hell was he still doing all of this? And if the socs didn't get him, how did his arms have bruises? I took a better look at him; he looked really pale and looked like he hadn't slept in days.

"C'mon kid, let's get you home," I said. I helped him up and we made our way to the Curtis house.

(XXX)

(Darry POV)

We all were hanging around and waiting for Steve and Ponyboy to show up; Pony had had track practice and Steve was coming here after his shift at the DX station. They were both a little late, but I wasn't worried… yet. Just then the door slammed open. I turned around to remind them not to slam the door, but stopped short when I saw Pony. He was pale, there bags under his eyes, and bruises on his arms. Also, Steve was supporting most of Pony's weight. And that isn't very much. The rest of the gang, namely Soda and Two-Bit, turned to look at them. Soda looked at Pony with worry and he stood up and began to make his way over to Ponyboy and Steve. Two-Bit's eyes had grown stormy. He turned the TV off and went over to the pair in the door.

"Pony what happened," Soda asked. It looked like Ponyboy was too weak to answer so Steve did for him.

"I found him out cold about a block over from here. I woke him up and he told me that he had been feeling sick lately. When I helped him up, he almost fell down again, so I had to help him walk here. Now can someone help me? I'd rather not catch whatever he has," Steve said. Soda immediately picked up Pony and carried him off to their room. I followed behind him and I could tell that Two-Bit and Steve weren't far behind me.

Sodapop gently put Pony on the bed that they shared. I looked him over, not only did his arms have bruises, but so did his back and legs. I had no clue what could've caused these. Pony was still awake, but barely. When I looked at his face, I felt a pang of guilt. I had seen that he didn't look well this morning, but I was too busy to do anything about it. I wish I had, he really didn't look good.

"Pony do you how these bruises got here?" Soda asked gently.

"No," he mumbled.

"Okay Pone, just get some rest," I said. I think he was asleep before the words were even out of my mouth. The rest of us headed back to the living room. The all looked at me anxiously. So I said "I have no idea what it is. We should take him to a doctor, tomorrow."

"Okay Dar, Pony hates hospitals, but I'll convince him," Soda said. It was going to be a long night

(XXX)

(Sodapop POV)

Pony looked really sick. I lied down next to him and put my arm across his shoulders. I stayed up a few hours because of my worry before falling into a dreamless sleep.

When I woke up, I realized that my arm wasn't around Ponyboy. I turned over and saw that he wasn't in bed. I looked at the clock. 5:00 it read. We didn't have to leave for a few hours for the hospital. Pony didn't even know that we were going yet. I was about to get out of bad to find Pony when the aforementioned boy walked back into the room.

"Hey Pony, what were you doing out of bed?" I asked.

"I woke up and my nose was bleeding," he said. I looked at his pillow, sure enough, there was a small streak of blood on his pillow.

"That's weird," I said. Pony climbed back into bed and just flipped his pillow over.

"Yeah, it took awhile to stop," he said. As he laid his head back on the pillow, he immediately fell asleep. I wondered why his nose suddenly started bleeding. I dismissed it as a coincidence and fell back into another anxious sleep for a few more hours.

**Did you see where Soda said "That's weird," well I was typing this and then my friend texted me and I responded "That's weird." I thought it was pretty funny. And if you don't, oh well. Thanks for reading. Oh, and the more you review, the better I feel, and the better I feel, the more I write!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, nor do I have any monetary gain.**

**I'm gonna keep writing until you tell me to slow down! Or my mom does.**

***READ* Oh and I just realized that I never put a time. It's over a year after the book, so Johnny and Dally are gone. It's just after thanksgiving (so like November 25). Ponyboy is 15, Soda is 18, and Darry is almost 22.**

**(Birthdays- Ponyboy- July 22; Sodapop- October 8; Darry- January 5)**

(Ponyboy POV)

I was sitting in the car and on the way to the least happy place on Earth, the hospital. I hate it there. I lost one friend their already and seems like only bad things happen there. When we pulled out to the hospital, Soda helped me out the door. Even though I slept a lot last night, I'm still feeling really sick. I guess it's true what they say; a fever gets worse at night. We walked into the hospital and Darry signed me in. We went to the waiting room and well, waited. I wish I had thought to bring a book with me. I had to settle for some cheesy magazine. Finally a doctor came into the waiting room. There only two other families here. The doctor looked at his chart.

"Ponyboy Curtis?" he said. I felt my ears turn red as we stood up. The other families looked at me quizzically. I like my name, but it always drew me a lot of attention. We walked over to the doctor. His name was Dr. Checkio. He told me that they would have to run some tests. He also told me that Darry and Soda couldn't come. I reluctantly followed him. I gave my brothers one last look before following the doctor through the door.

(XXX)

Man, those needles hurt. They couldn't have found another and more comfortable way to do that test. I mean, they had put needled in my back! I just hope whatever is wrong with me didn't cause me pain like that. Like I've said before, I hate needles. I follwed the doctor back to Darry and Soda. I wasn't sure what to expect, but by the look on the doctor's face, it wasn't good

(XXX)

(Darry POV)

I was scared. I'd never admit it to anyone, but I was. I was hoping that this was nothing or it would blow over, but I had this horrible feeling that something terrible would happen. At least I wasn't too hopeful, then it would be even more unbearable, whatever this maybe. Then, when they tell me that Pony's fine, I can just be relived. But Soda, I think he was getting his hopes up. I didn't want him to be devastated if something bad happened. Just then the door opened and in came Ponyboy with the doctor. Pony was still looking pretty weak, even though he had had a full night's sleep. Dr. Checkio asked to see me alone. _Oh no_, I thought.

"Darrell, do you want it straight out?" he asked. That through me for a loop. Usually doctors just said it. I'm glad he at least gave me a choice.

"Yes," I said. _It's the only_ _way, _I told myself. Better me all at once than Soda and Pony in bits and pieces.

"I'm sorry to inform you but Ponyboy appears to have leukemia. It is an often fatal cancer. The body releases an excessive amount of premature white blood cells. They crowd out the mature white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. Luckily childhood leukemia tends to respond fairly well to treatment."

"Will he die?" I asked dumbly. I was to shocked say anything more. I was expecting something bad, but not this. I looked back at Pony and Soda. They were laughing at something Soda had done. It occurred to me that they probably wouldn't be laughing for a long time after this. I could feel the tears gathering in my eyes.

"There is only a 7.5% chance of survival," He said. Even he looked grim. This was awful. "We can start chemotherapy tomorrow afternoon."

"Okay. Wait… can he go to school?" I asked. I wasn't sure if I wanted Pony to go.

"No, it would be better if he didn't," Dr. Checkio told me. I nodded my head and walked towards my brothers. How was I going to tell them? They heard me coming and looked up. The smiles they wore quickly vanished at the sight of me. I had kept my face as neutral as I could, but it wasn't working.

"Darry what is it?" Ponyboy asked so quietly I almost missed it. I knelt down in front of them. I made sure to make my voice as strong as possible. It was so hard though. How is a man supposed to tell his baby brother that he is probably going to die? This was pure agony.

"Ponboy, baby, I…you…" I sighed. So much for strong. Those damn tears kept welling up in my eyes. I could feel my heart breaking. I sighed and tried to recompose myself. I still wouldn't let myself look at either of them. "Pony, you have leukemia."

I will never forget the look on his face. When I saw his face starting out as shocked and then crumble in devastation, I broke down. I hugged him like my life depended on it. Soda joined in on the hug and we sat there in the waiting room, just hugging and crying. We couldn't lose Pony, not now. We had just gotten over Johnny and Dally and our parents. Why did life always seem to throw the curve balls at us? None of us deserved it, especially not Pony. He had gone through more than any of us. And he was the one that was supposed to get out of here and be somebody. He was still so young; he was supposed to have his entire life to look forward to. Now, the rest of his life may just be spent in a hospital.

**Okay, I cried writing this. I was listening to sad music and then this, it all made me so sad. How many of you cried? That was actually what I was going for. I think if I can get you guys to get emotional, it has to be pretty good. So tell me what you think!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Okay, this chapter goes to "Yeaaa..." in a review she said that she had been diagnosed 2 years ago with leukemia. I hope I'm doing the emotions justice. If I'm doing anything wrong, feel free to tell me.**

**One thing I'll probably do well is how Pony's friends feel. I know a lot of people that have had cancer. My own friend just got tested for cancer and let me tell you, it scared me half to death. She hasn't gotten the results yet, but I doubt it's cancer. But still knowing that it's a possibility is scary. I can't imagine having it. **

(Ponyboy POV)

_It may be my last night at home,_ I thought. I tried not to think about how many lasts may be tonight, but it was too hard. Darry was making Fried chicken, my favorite. It was my night to cook, but Darry said that I didn't have to. I don't any of us were all that hungry though. I was lying on my bed and staring up at the ceiling. Two-Bit and Steve were here. They were in the kitchen talking to Darry and Soda. After we told them they were going to leave, but I begged them to stay. I didn't even want to think about what was happening, but there was no avoiding it. Even with a full house, I felt alone. Here I am, feeling all alone with a heavy heart. In my head, I keep playing memories. Everything, good and bad. I haven't felt so alone in a long time. Not since Johnny and Dally died. Now, I may be joining them soon. Oddly enough, I couldn't find any happiness in this thought. I may see some of those that I love, but I would be leaving others behind. I don't know how anyone would deal with that. I had to beat this. I just had to.

I got up off my bed and headed for the kitchen. I stopped outside the door to listen to what the guys were saying.

"I just can't believe this is happening," Two-Bit said. There was no laughter in his voice.

"I know, first Johnny and Dal… and now the kid. Why do we get all the tough breaks? Especially Pony, he always ends up with the short end of the stick," that was Steve. He actually cared. Oh God, what is my life coming to when Steve Randal feels bad for me?

"But he's gonna make it out of this, he has to. I mean, what will we do without him?" Soda said. He always knows what to say. But what if this was false hope?

"Soda's right. He will make it through. We just have to stay positive," Darry said. He always keeps his head, except today at the hospital. I had never seen him cry so much.

"Positive?! How can we stay positive? The likelihood of him beating this is 3 in 40!" Two-Bit yelled. Before you go thinking he can convert 7.5% to a fraction, I did that math. I just told them the answer an hour ago.

"Quiet, Pony will hear you," Darry said. I decided now would be a good time to make my appearance.

"What will I hear?" I said. I decided to play dumb. No need for them to worry even more.

"Nothing, Pone. How are you feeling?" Soda said. I had a feeling I'd be being asked that a lot from now on.

"Okay, I guess," I sighed. I sat down at the table. Everyone was watching me like I was about to break or something. "I'm fine; you can stop looking at me like that." Then they all looked at their shoes simultaneously. It was pretty funny. I let out a small laugh. Everyone's head snapped back up. I laughed again. Two-Bit was first to realize what had happened. If I was laughing, it must be a good sign.

"Well, it seems all of you share a brain the way ya'll are nodding at the same time," he said.

"You too Two-Bit," I said. It wasn't all that funny, but I guess we needed a laugh because we all started cracking up. When we calmed down, Darry set the food on the table. It was almost winter, but Darry had made fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and cooked corn on the cob. And of course, a chocolate cake. After he set it all on the table, we dug in. I ate all I could; knowing that for a long time, all I would be eating was hospital food, if I was eating at all. I heard that chemo makes you practically puke your guts out. I guess we were all lost in our own thoughts because for the first time ever, we ate in silence. I thought I would've loved it, but I wanted nothing more than a _normal_ night where we didn't know that I might die soon. That's what I want: my life to stop spiraling out of control.

After dinner, I decided to go to bed. I was really tired. While I was getting ready, I could hear rain begin pounding on the roof. It was like the angels were crying. I wish I didn't know why. But they won't be crying for long, I knew that I was going to beat this. I was going to defy the odds, again.

**It wasn't my longest, or best. I thought we needed Pony's reaction to this whole ordeal. I hoped you liked it. The next one will be up ASAP, as always.**


	5. Author's Note

**A/N I'm seriously unsure if I will ever finish these stories. I hope to one day, but there's absolutely no guarantee. If one of you fabulous people wants to take one over, message me and I'll tell you my general plan. Of course, I'll preview your previous works to be sure that these are going to a good home. So these are up for adoption. I may eventually compile them all into a series of cliffhanger-y one-shots.**

**I'm so sorry for being absent for so long and neglecting these stories. Life got hectic and I had to change some, but that's no excuse. My writing style has completely changed and this really isn't me anymore. I promised myself that when I first started I would **_**never**_** do anything like this, but I feel like it's my only viable option now. I myself hat it when aurthors do this, but I will never do this again. I hope you can forgive me for all of this. I apologize from the bottom of my heart.**


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